A few months ago, I made a difficult decision – to leave The Donum Estate and work as vineyard manager for Larkmead Vineyards in the upper Napa Valley. Anne has invited me to discuss my reasons for this decision and report on my new job.

I did not make my decision to get a better job, but to make a change. After farming for over a quarter of a century in Carneros, I have accomplished my mission here. I always had a dream to farm in Napa Valley as well. Now preparation and opportunity have come together, and I can learn the differences between Carneros and Napa.

The vineyards are located a few miles south of Calistoga in a narrow portion of the valley between Highway 29 and the … More…

As we sit here talking at Anne’s, the creek is rising and water is beginning to flow across the road that leads to her home. We need the rain and we have it, about 2.7 inches in less than 24 hours. Downtown Napa looks like it could flood soon. And there have been strong gusts of wind blowing tree limbs off onto the roads.The soil was dry and the water has been soaking in until now, at noon on Friday, it’s running off.

This rain is warm. My sweatshirt got wet, but I didn’t even notice it because I felt no cold. Even in Mexico, around Guadalajara, over the holidays it was quite warm, in the 70’s during the day. We stay awake almost … More…

There’s something of a lull between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Because we are an agricultural enterprise, we fit right into the ancient seasonal pattern of harvest and celebration. It’s our time to rest, regain our energy, get caught up and then gear up for the new season. Soon we’ll be pruning and starting the whole cycle all over again for the 2008 vintage. I can’t believe it.

As I mentioned in a previous posting, our core vineyard people are not seasonal workers. They are full-time, benefited employees. This is the time of year when they use vacation time to take their families back home for the holidays.

These employees are professionals, and the quality of their work depends on proper execution, as with any craft. Most members of our … More…